New public hospital plan for Muharraq

Manama, June 24, 2014

Plans are being drawn up to construct a new state-of-the-art public hospital in Muharraq.

Health Minister Sadiq Al Shehabi said the project will comprise three speciality centres, including a maternity section and a diabetes facility, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

He said the hospital, which has been added to the national budget for 2015, will address the increasing need for health care facilities in the governorate.

"A group of hospitals which will house three specialty centres in Muharraq is under planning," he said yesterday.

"The three-in-one complex will include a maternity centre, a long-stay facility and a diabetes centre.

"The project is already being discussed with the ministers concerned, while we await the budget to be cleared."

However, he did not reveal more information as the project was still under initial study.

He spoke to the GDN on the sidelines of his visit to the Muharraq Governorate yesterday as part of directives by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa to have closer interactions with the public.

Meanwhile, the BD5.2 million ($13.7 million) Halat Bu Maher Health Centre will start treating patients within the next three months.

It will be the sixth and one of the largest health centres in Muharraq with a total area of 13,674 sq m.

"The centre, close to the governorate building, will initially run normal hours and will soon be ready to function 24/7, if need be," said Al Shehabi.

"The centre comes in line with the keenness of the leadership to provide complete health care services to its citizens."

Health Ministry health centre director Sima Zainal said recruitment for the new centre was underway by the Civil Service Bureau.

"It is equipped with facilities to adapt all modern medical services to be provided to citizens," she added.

During the meeting with Muharraq residents the minister also highlighted medical facilities available in the area, which include the Geriatric Centre and the Abdulrahman Kanoo Dialysis Centre in addition to five health centres.

"The Geriatric Centre with four wards has a capacity of 104 beds with 50 for women and 54 for men. It records 95 to 100 per cent occupancy round the year," he said.

The BD2.5 million dialysis centre in Busaiteen has 48 beds and registers 98pc occupancy rate, offering dialysis to 45 patients in each of the three sessions per day, he added.

Residents also discussed long waiting lines and delays at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), which they said was a major concern.